A variety of medical devices and medical device systems are implanted within a body of a patient to provide support or stabilization to a portion or portions of the patient's body. For example, some medical device systems are implanted and coupled to backbones or spines of patients and are configured to provide support to the spinal bone structure of the patient. Some medical device systems that are configured to provide support to the spinal bone structure of a patient include support members or rods that extend between various portions of the medical device system to help maintain a specific distance between such portions of the medical device system. For example, the support members or rods may extend between portions of the medical device system that are coupled to adjacent vertebra to maintain a specific distance between the portions of the medical device system (and the vertebra to which the portions of the medical device system are coupled).
In some cases, after implantation, the portion of the patient's body being supported or stabilized by the support members or rods of the medical devices or medical device systems may grow, for example, in the case of a young patient. It then may be necessary to perform an additional medical procedure to replace a portion of the medical device (e.g., the support members or rods) or the entire implanted medical device or medical device system
Accordingly, there is a need for a support or rod device of an implantable medical device or medical device system that may be adjusted after implantation to accommodate changes in the size of the portion of the body being supported or stabilized.